Akakura Kanko ski area was amazing when I came to ski with the amazing backcountry and deepest powder. I stayed at a great local hostel in Akakura Myoko Powder hostel. My hosts were very knowledgeable of the local area and the backcountry riding available. I recommend Akakura and the Myoko area to everyone.
Thank you, Stale.

Akakura Kanko Ratings

Access: 3.0

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day &ndash; you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Akakura Kanko.

Public Transport: 4.0

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Akakura Kanko, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Scenery: 5.0

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Accommodation: 5.0

(1) No places to stay in/near Akakura Kanko, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Luxury Hotels: 5.0

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Akakura Kanko.

Ski in/Ski out: 5.0

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Snowsure: 5.0

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Akakura Kanko is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Shelter: 5.0

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Akakura Kanko is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 5.0

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Akakura Kanko, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 5.0

(1) Akakura Kanko usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 5.0

(1) The staff at Akakura Kanko are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Akakura Kanko are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 5.0

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 5.0

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 4.0

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Variety of pistes: 5.0

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Akakura Kanko has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Intermediates: 5.0

(1) No intermediate terrain at Akakura Kanko, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 5.0

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Mountain Dining: 5.0

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 5.0

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 4.0

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Ski Pass Value: 5.0

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 4.0

(1) Overall, Akakura Kanko is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 5.0

(1) Overall, Akakura Kanko is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

Akakura is probably the area's most popular resort. It has a wide variety of terrain, good powder snow for much of the season and a cute little ski village for hot springs, bars and souvenir shopping. For more information search for 'akakura onsen' or try or http://myoko-nojiri.com/ski.htm (English)